Process for oxidizing nonferrous metals



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D PRCESS FOR OXDIZING NU'NFERROUS METALS Filed Sep-i3. 30, 19255 3 Shee'ts-5heet l UELLHBH Hilf WIN LEAD OXIOE `Q` INVENTOR 2. o l ad 64M BY l V Y MQTTORNYS .www3

mmm/am PROCESS FOR oXDIzING NoNFERRoUs METALS Filed sept. 5o, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 F b. 1 1927, @6,233 e G. E. ROHMER PROCESS FOR OXIDIZING NONFERROUS METALS Filed sept. so, 1925 s sheets-sheet INVENTOR BY l ATTORNEY'S -similar products.`

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. the action O Patented Feb. l,

uuirao STA-'rss Y. GABR' INC.; or LONG r Param OFFICE.

I'EL E. Romana, or NEW YORK, N. Y., AssrGNOn'ro ANDREWS LEAD COMPANY,

sLANn CITY,v NEW YORK, A CORPORATION or NEW YORK.

raocrzssroza OXIDIZING NoNrEnnoUs METALS.

Application led September, 19,25.` Serial No. 59,464.'

l invention. relates to an improved method for .effecting the Oxidation of certain' elements orometals of a non-ferrous nature, such. as. lead, zinc, etc., the oxides of which are Vused in themanufacture of paints, rubf ber,. enam'els etc;, and in the refining of certain products such as `oil, petroleum and One of the objects ofiimy invention is the provision of a methodforthe purpose above indicated whereby- I 4may effect vthe oxidai tion of` elements.` or `metals such as those mentioned much more thoroughly, more eiliciently and in far less timey than is capable with themethods and apparatus now em ployed in this art. l

I am aware of course that various types of `furnaces and anumbe'r' ofldiiferent meth- .ods are now employed in the oxidation of non-ferrous metals, but in all such methods and in all such furnaces soV far as I am aware to the contrary the leador other metal being treated is subjected tothe action of heat and the reducing effect of oxygen while in a relatively large'thick mass. This necessitatesjth'e use of agitatorsor` breakers of some sort for breaking up or'agita'ting'the metal mass whilethe-same is being subjected to oxidation,A resulting obviously in eiiciency losses, aswell as unnecessary eX- pen'se'. by wayof necessaryv equipment, with theattendant risk of improper oxidation or reduction of the metal being treated.

,A further object of'my invention, therefore, isl the provision of an improvedI methodl wherebyrthelosses above referred to may be eliminated, my method not only very materially reducingthe time within which a given amount yof material may bevtreated, but eliminating the use of the stirrers or agitator's above referred to, while at the same time insuring the thorough, oxidation of the mass. beingvtreated.

A still further object 4of my invention is the` provision'of a methodadapted for the zing of non-ferrous metals such as lead, etc.,` whereby the ,metal is subjectedto f. heat and oxygen while spread out in a thin flat sheet or film, provided bygravity iow over a heated hearth, the temperatures employed in practicing my method and hereinafter referred to being suflicient to transform Vthe metal into an oxideand to fuse the oxide, therrelativelypthin sheet or film in which the material is treated`elimi zinc,

n ating entirely the necessity of employing stirrers or agitators. of any kind as now known; This method permits of la steady continuos uninterrupted `oxidation of the material. .being treated and a`constant continuous discharge. 'In other words by myimprov-edl r'method I eliminate entirely the i type of process 4now employedwherein the `lead or other metal is treated in batches,v and can feed material constantlyl or practically so to the furnace and to the same degrec effect a constant continuous discharge therefrom. v

In generalmy improved method provides for feeding-the lead inpig or other form to a. furnace so arranged that the metal as it liquelies drips or falls upon an inclined lheated hearth over which it spreads in the form of a thinflm, while constantly flowing toward the discharge end of the hearth, 76 the metal of course while in this formrbeing subjected to the? oxidizing action of heated oxygen, the metal Adischarging automatically from the furnace.-

vIn the drawings accompanying thepresent application, I have shownlone form of furnace suitable for the practice of' my improved process. Fig. l shows an embodiment4 of one form of-my improved furnace in sectional eleva-- tion;

Fig. 2 i

s a plan view of the same; andl Fig. 3' is a section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. v1.

Referring to the drawings in detail,l the furnace comprises the four walls 1,2, 3 and. 4, supported on posts 5 and crowned with larch 7'. A

Pivoted within the furnaceA in the bottom thereof .is a. tiltable hearth 8, faced. with suitable 'refractory material ,9. This hearth is mounted onremovable pivots 10,.,adapted to be withdrawn readily for removal of the hearth when. necessary, the hearth being provided with handles ll, by which a tackle may be attache'dftheretofor supporting` the A hearth after removal of the piyots. l

- The `wall l of the furnace constitutes the feed end thereof, and the discharge end 12 ofthe hearth is adapted to be depressed so as to incline thehearth from the feedend` toward the discharge end,. the means for `so depressing the hearth comprisingadjust- ,ing bolt 13, accessible from beneath the 'fur- *nace and bearing against the underside Iof inclination. vAdjacent the discharge 'end of the hearth I provide' a plurality'of discharge openings 14, 1 5, 16 and 17, in staggered relation 'to each other, these. openingsbeing so arranged as to permit of variation in the characteristics of the material being treated.

In other Words, leads, for example, of 'differ-v ent degrees of purity require dierent pe riodsof treatment, and by providing the openings above referred to the length,4 of

. time, i. e., the distance of. travel may be varied.

Across disposed feed shelves, three having. been `illustrated, designated 18, 19 and 20, re#

spectively, these shelves lying in openings 21,22 and 23, respectively, provided forthat purpose in the front wall 1.of the furnace.

f Each shelf is pivoted as indicated at 24,

i -and may be tilted to the` desired angle by adjusting bolt 25.

- vided for the reception of the material beas it melts, drips or falls upon the hearth dicated 'in Fig. lfor example.

ing treated, 4andwhich in the case o'f lead for instance willbe in pigtfor'nt 'Ihe inner end 26 of each shelf extends into the furnace su'icie'ntly to overlie the feed end ofthe hearth heretofore referred to, asin- In operation the lead, or other element being treated,

as will be pointedvout hereinafter.

Immediately above the feed shelves 18, 19 and 20,'I'provide burners, 27, 28 and'29,

- adaptedfor the burning of oil` or gas er other :suitable fuel, by which the` furnace is heated, and eadli 1burner may be provided if desired with a 'tibe at its inner' end, which I-.have shown at 30, for effecting heating .of the furnace by radiation. The products of combustion. escape from the furnace through vents 31.

of the furnace with additional burnersv 32, of the same type for -examplecas the V b1 1rn' ers 27, 28 and 29. Y

series of openings designated 33 and 34 in the side wall 3 and 35 and 36 in the side Wall '4, while additional air is supplied through side wall openings 37- The ena wan 2 and side Wange and-.j 4 of the furnace are provided with airduct 38, by, which the airenteringithe treating chamberV 39 of the. furnacemay be preheated. ,If desired, however, -air may be admitted directly to the treating chamber throughL the inlets-33, 34, 35 and 36. 'Each of lthese inlets is provided with a controlling.'

plate or d amper 40, by `which the amount of air admitted may be rerulated at will. Inv addition each of these inets isprovided witha sleeve, 41, provided withinlets 42.

lthe feed endv of `the furnace arev alon'g the hearth.v by of a flowing sheet until 1t discharges through Within each. sleeve .is another sleeve 43also l provided @with 'openings 44. By rotating either the outer sleeve 41 or the inner .sleeve 43 the air passing into the furnace through the openings v33, 34, 35 and 36 may be shutT 0H entirely, whereby. the air admitted throughi'nlets'. 37 maybe preheated in the duct 38 to' -any 'degree desired and then admitted'by rotation-of either of the sleeves 1 41"or 43 to the chamber 39. The plates This arrangement therefore provides for accurat control not only ofthe amount of air`being taken into the furnace chamber 39, but the temperature as lwelh permitting furthermore of control o'f the temperature ofthe furnace chamber.'

In practice the lead or other metal to be treated is charged' in .pig form upon the shelves '18, ..19 and 20. As the furnace is brought to lthe-desired temperatureby purity of the-metal.v being treated, this be.- ingcontrolled by the thermo-couples 45 of ordinary construction and merely illustrated herein diagrammatically,` the metaldrips upon the hearth 8, spreadsv outv in a' thin layer 'or' film thereon, gradually ii'owing ravity in the form' 40 in the meantime may be entirely closed.

" the burners, this ltemperature varying from 650 C., to `1200o C. depending upon the.

the discharge openings iii the hearth to a vessel 46y beneath the same in the form of liquefied or fused litharge. Thereafter it may be dumped from the receptacle 46. on a cooling vplatform of any usual construction, 1 i

It will be seen from-the foregoing that have provided an 'f improved method for vtreating metalssuch as' lead, zinc, etc., whereby the entire mass of metal on the furnace wall is spontaneously transformed \into.an oxide and whereby process may be In addition to thevburners already -re. ferred to -I provide theside walls 3 and'4 carried on continuously as distinguished from the methods now employed wherein batch operation "is practiced.' It' will be` 'understood also thatthe inclination of the v '-hearth, that is to say, the length of time Air is'admitted' to thefurnace through a:

consumed in the passage of the metal under treatment from 'the' feed to `point of discharge may."be-varied to suit-conditions with vrespect 'to the character of the metal being treated. n

While I have described 'a specific embodi` ment of va furnace .capable o'f use in the practice of myv vimproved `method, it is to -`be understood that other types of furnace may be employedand that changes may be made in the details of the furnace described fwithin the purview of my invention.

What I claim is 1 1.' The'method of oxidizing a non-ferrous aeiaaee metal is in the form of a thin film or flowing sheet.

2. The method ofoxidizing a non-ferrous metal which method consists in flowing the metal by gravity and in the form of a thin relatively wide spread flowing sheet through and out from the heated chamber of a furnace containing oxygen.

3. The method of oxidizing a non-ferrous metal which method consists in flowing a thin relative wide spreadbody of molten metal through and out from the heating chamber of a furnace while admitting oxygen .to said chamber, and while the chamber is heated to the fusing temperature of the metaltherein treated.

4. The method of oxidizing a non-ferrous metal, which method consists in advancing the same continuously in the form of a thin, widely spread flowing sheet body while subjecting the metal to the action of heat and oxygen.

5. The method of oxidizing a non-ferrous metal which method consists .in flowing the nietalin the form of a thin, widely spread body through a zone containing oxygen and heated to the fusing temperature of the metal being treated whilev continuously renewingthe supply of metal to said zone and discharging the resultant product from said zone.

6. rl`he methodof oxidizing anon-ferrous metal, which method consists in heating the nietaland in spontaneously transforming the entire `mass of said metal on 'the furnace wall into an oxide.

7. The method of oxidizing a non-ferrous metal, which method consists in heating the metal and in spontaneously transforming said metal on the furnace wall into an oxide in the presence of oxygen. v

8. The method of oxidizing a non-ferrous metal which method consists in fusing said metal, oxidizing it and'passing said oxide through and out from the heated chamber of a furnace containing oxygen while the molten metal is in the form of a thin flow- Y ing sheet.

10. The method of oxidizing a non-fer-i rous metal, which'niethod consists in flowing a molten thin, relatively wide spread body of metal across the heating chamber hearth4 of a furnace whilegdinitting oxygen to said chamber and while the chamber is heated to a temperature which will transform said metal .into an oxide, and in fusing said oxide.

ll. rlhe method of'oxidizing a non-ferrous metal, which methodconsists in flowing the molten metal by gravity in the form of thin and relatively wide spread flowing sheet through the heated cliam'berof a furnace containing oxygen, in transforming said metal into 'an oxide, and in fusing Asaid oxide during gravity flow.

12. The method of oxidizing a non-ferrous metal, which method consists in advancing the saine continuously in the form of a molten, thin, widely spread flowing sheet while subjecting the metal to the action of. heat and oxygen.

13. The method of oxidizing a non-ferrous metal, which method consists in advancing t-he saine continuously in the formv ofV a molten, thin, widely spread flowing sheet,

in transforming said metal in an oxide, and

in fusing said oxide by the-action of heat and oxygen.

' 14. The method of oxidizing a non-ferrous metal, which method consists in flowing the metal in the form of a molten, thin, widely spread flowing sheet through a zone containing oxygen and heated to ranges of temperature which will cause the mass of said metal to oxidize throughout, and subsequently to fuse while the molten widely spread bodyv I flow continues its gravity run, and in disy charging said molten widely spread body flow fused oxide away from said zone.

15. The method of oxidizing a non-ferrous metal, which method consists in supplying masses of cold metal at the inlet end of the heating chamber of a furnace, in slowly melting said cold masses of metal to induce a continuous thin, widely spread body flow through a zone in said furnace containing oxygen and ranges of temperature sufficient to cause said continuous thin and widely spread flowing metal sheet to be oxidized throughout, in fusing said oxidized metal andl in discharging said fused oxidized metal flow at--the outlet end of 'said furnace.

This specification signed this 22d day of September, 1925.

GABRllEL E. ROHMER. 

